Can't. There's an Indian reservation right on the border.

Anecdote:

I was visiting my sister that takes various pharmaceuticals. She walks into the kitchen raving to my mom about junkies. Both of them were on scrips, right as they were complaining about it. Both of them, high and complaining about drug users. I shake my head.

Why would "There's an Indian reservation right on the border." = "Can't."

Rock, paper, scissors, Native American.

They better pick a side and quick - TGRR is getting the concrete together as we type.:cool:

More like rock, paper, scissors, Sovereign Nation. :)

LOL. Cute.

Hey Cicero, where might I find that discussion about the legalization of other, more dangerous drugs? Since there are a lot of people here from other countries, I've been wanting to find out how that's been going. I remember seeing some documentary several years ago, and the outlook seemed pretty bright for some of the addicts that had gotten into programs, but I haven't seen anything else since then. Soooo...

That's what I was thinking.

Ron Paul was debating Stephen Baldwin last night on Larry King whether pot should be legalized. It was pretty funny, a Baldwin brother debating against legalizing pot, and a politician debating FOR legalization.

Here is a link about the interview.

Well Ron Paul thinks its ok to drive while under the influence of marijuana. He also doesn't think there is any DUI for marijuana..

Baldwin guaranteed that marijuana use will lead to other drugs.

Mexico is a sovereign nation. We can sure as hell build a wall between the United States and any sovereign nation.

That was great! Thanks for the link.

Sorry Cloud, the hits just keep on coming...

Police find 7 bodies in Mexican border city

it's a daily occurrence. Just in the past couple of weeks, they found several decapitated heads in ice chests near Guadalajara (which is NOT near the border); a prominent lawyer was gunned down as he sat in a busy intersection in broad daylight in Juarez; and the police chief there resigned. Mexico has sent thousands of troops into the city to keep the peace. Citizens are paying them to stand on their street on in front of their businesses; one can only presume the drug cartels are paying them not to.

ETA: it's 9 bodies now

And yet more reasons to legalize drugs in this country.

Or build a wall.

Not sure it would help.

the wall is built. it's a done deal. and no, I don't think it will help much.

Wait when did that happen?

Border Fence nearly finished: http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_118624...lpasotimes.com

Also, they now have 7000 soldiers in Cd. Juarez. That's a hell of a lot.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_11921826

well, at least now it's getting some press. finally. took them long enough. And Anderson Cooper is supposed to be reporting "live from the border" tonight. Whoop de do.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/25/mex...lum/index.html

Its on Obama's and Clinton's radar now. Clinton even admits that America's drug use has a large part in this conflict.

I've heard a lot of talk on this and there are some predictions of Obama having to bring not just financial aid to Mexico, but military. If it gets much worse, this plus the immigration issue will most likely explode.

Line the border and stop the influx.




TGRR - where the Heck is the concrete?!?!?!?!

A wall isn't going to solve the problem. With the amount of trade between the United States and Mexico it would be impossible to inspect all the trucks and cars going in and out so everything would get in and out anyways. Not to mention if you got a few border guards under the paycheck of a drug cartel...

We would be spending billions of dollars on something that will only make it hard to cross the border, not stop. I don't see how that is worth it in any way. The money can be spend in more efficient matter to help solve the same problem.

Lets do the math. 1969 miles * 5280 (ft/mile) * 5 ft (width) * 15 ft (height) * (1ft^3/3^3yd^3) = 2.887e7 cubic yards of concrete.

Assume $70 a cubic yard

So a total cost of $2.02e9 or 2,021,000,000 or 2.021 TRILLION dollars for only the material cost.

Then labor costs come in. That is MUCH more then material costs so you can muliply that by five (maybe more??)

So assuming 10 trillion dollars for an initial cost along with annual maintenance costs it is completely unrealistic.


Other methods would be much more efficient.

lol - PH - we already did the math. Its a joke, sorta.

We could just kill them all I suppose. But then who will mix up my drinks on the beach?

Bitter much?

I say we adopt the Gurkha Battalions from the Brits and hire them to close the borders. They did a bang up job in HK.

Well, we can save on the labour by employing ... ahh ... you know ... illegal imigrant Mexican day-labourers...

You could start by cutting the u. :p

So cold yo! :p

Drug war pictures at Boston Dot Com.

Awesome pics.

Since I first started this thread, well--everyone seems to know about this now. Unfortunately, despite apparent (and I do stress apparent) efforts by Mexican government and military, things are worse. This year so far, the murder count is about 1400--up 45% from last year. And that has spread to general lawlessness; kidnapping, carjacking, robbery--NO ONE goes over there now if they can help it. There is no rule of law, no one to trust, and no one to help.

If you're interested, here is a recent and very nice article by a bi-national engineer on the current state of affairs:

http://newspapertree.com/features/40...-created-equal

I'm very sad for the Mexican people.

Me too - They should revolt and take their country back.

The latest pics from boston.com with the WOD.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/200...ug_report.html

El Paso is getting a lot of refugees. Those who can afford to leave Cd. Juarez, or who have relatives here they can stay with, have. I sit on my balcony and watch the helicopters patrol at night.

And just this week our local pd has raided and arrested four very small home pot growers. Like -- 2 plants to 2 lbs. This does not make sense to me. (shakes head)

It's politically safer.

And physically safer.

So, it's not so much a war on drugs as it is a bully on drugs. :p:

I think it is more of a govt on drugs.

What I want to know is, how did the police KNOW there were two pot plants in that apartment? It doesn't sound like a high tech operation to me...

that was my first question, too.

After discussion with my cow orkers, the consensus is "kids." Or it could be a roofer, or meter guy, or . . . or None of those operations looks really big enough to throw a red flag up for utility use I don't think.

If they get a report, they have to act on it, I guess.

Sacrificial lambs

Heh...yeah.

Police reports: Hey, we had 400 drug busts last month. Chico was smoking a j in an alley. Barb and Fred had 1/32nd oz of smoke. Mark took a hit from a bong at a party. We are nipping it IN THE BUD! :lol:

But not a peep about arresting the thousands of illegals that are bringing the shit here. noooooooo just the poor Mexicans trying to better their lives. Bullshit. Secure the friggin borders.

Actually, the newspaper is full of news about pot busts crossing the border. At least once a week, there is a major bust for cocaine or pot. The newest thing is to recruit kids to stash a brick or two in their schoolbags and get them to bring it across the border, on the theory that CBP officers won't look too closely at kids, penalties are less for children and that the kids are easier to corrupt.

:thumb:

:2cents:

As long as the demand exists, someone (some many) will supply it. No amount of border sealing will fix that; maybe reduce it a bit.
As long as the US has both enough people who want drugs to be illegal to keep them so, and enough people who want to use drugs regardless, this situation will continue.

Kinda like "blood diamonds." I'm a little surprised that the anti-drug PSAs don't include guilt trips like showing dead bodies in the desert and saying "If you do drugs, you killed these people."

It's more fun to sit on the porch and yell about the borders, but it's hardly any kind of solution in the grand scheme.

Simple history: prohibition didn't work. Drug wars, or even Bully wars, don't work.

Duh!

"secure the border"

very nice sound bite. very impossible to put into practice It's not so much about "illegals" as it is the bi-national nature of the border. Half of the people in my town have half their families on the other side, or work on the other side.

I am opposed, in principal, to people living here illegally and working, going to school etc. But the problem is complex, and even more so now, when people are seeking sanctuary from violence.

My heart hurts for the Mexican people, because it's a great country that I love, but -- Yes, we Americans contribute to the problem, but Mexican society, their customs, and their problems, have exacerbated it. Their willingness to look the other way, not hold their leaders accountable, their poverty and class imbalance, and the culture of bribery and corruption that has predominated for decades (if not centuries) has put them in a situation where they have no one to trust or turn to. It's very sad.

Drug wars don't work. What does that mean? That trying to enforce laws while people continue to break them doesn't work?
What about laws against speeding? Shoplifting? Murder? These violations/crimes continue despite law enforcement efforts, so... just fuck it?
I don't know either.

I do know I'm glad there are no crack houses in my neighborhood though.

Yep. Still drugs. Everywhere. Just say no, THANK YOU! (That's why just say no didn't do much...it wasn't very polite.) ;)

Prohibition made the Kennedys and the mob rich. The War on Drugs makes gang-bangers and the mob rich.

It's called decriminalization. I don't think crack houses would even be needed anymore. Perhaps you're thinking I'm saying "don't enforce the current laws."

No, the arguments for legalization have been around for a long time. I don't think I need to reiterate them, or explain the huge difference.

Simple enough.

I don't know what you're saying, that's why I asked.
I still don't.

That is not an issue if they are here legally, if not? Tough shit, Pick a side.
Go home and fix your problems - coming here and spreading the violence and other issues into this country is not a viable solution.

We cannot afford to take the hit for the worlds ills anymore -
We have our own issues to deal with.
We help everyone everytime there is a problem and everyone wants our help. Time to deal with our own issues and let them deal with theirs. If we can curb the ease in which people AND/OR drugs flow into our country, we will all be the better for it.

Weren't the Soviets evil for building the Berlin Wall? Just asking.

That would depend upon who you are asking and why that wall was built.

Jus sayin

I agree with Spexxvit, in the main, except for the "tough shit, pick a side" part. I live here, and that's just not the way people live their lives. Closing the borders would separate families and hurt the US economically.